Covering devices with warmer pockets

ABSTRACT

A covering device for a foot, hand or other appendage is provided with at least one floating pocket configured to retain a warming device near a particular region of the appendage, for example the toe region of a foot, while facilitating the flow of air around the warming device to enhance its efficacy.

PRIORITY CLAIM AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/025,714, filed Feb. 1, 2008 (entitled “COVERING DEVICES WITH WARMER POCKETS”).

The present application incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/025,714, filed Feb. 1, 2008 (entitled “COVERING DEVICES WITH WARMER POCKETS”).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention herein relate to socks, gloves, mittens, liners and other appendage covering devices including one or more pockets for receiving heating devices to enhance the warmth provided by the covering device. More particularly, one or more of the pockets are floating pockets to enhance the air flow around the pockets and their contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of these inventions are intended to provide a warmer covering than available from a covering without a warmer pocket. In one embodiment, a covering device for an appendage is provided comprising a main portion with a first end and a second end, the first end including a hole to facilitate the insertion of an appendage into the covering device and the second end being substantially closed. The covering device further including at least one floating pocket in the region of the second end configured to retain a warming device spaced apart from main portion of the covering device. Such spacing is particularly useful when the pocket is used to hold an air activated warming device as the spacing facilitates the movement of more air around the warming device than permitted when the main portion of the covering device cooperates with the pocket to hold the warming device.

In some embodiments, a covering device configured for use with the appendage of a user includes a main body portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface and a pocket portion. The pocket portion may be configured to retain a heating device and may include a top layer, a bottom layer and a cavity disposed between the top and bottom layers. The pocket portion is attached to the main body portion so that air is generally permitted to flow between the bottom layer of the pocket and the upper surface of the main body portion.

In some embodiments, the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the cavity includes four sides, one being bound by the fold and the other three being at least partially closed.

In some embodiments, the main body portion comprises first and second sides and the pocket portion comprises first and second unattached sides and first and second attached sides, at least a portion of the first and second attached sides of the pocket portion being attached to the main body portion along a portion of the first and second sides of the main body portion. In some embodiments, the opening to the cavity corresponds with one of the unattached sides. In some embodiments, the opening to the cavity corresponds with one of the attached sides. In some embodiments, the opening to the cavity is selectively closable.

In some embodiments, a sock is configured for use with the leg of a user and includes a main body portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface and a generally rectangular pocket portion configured to retain a heating device. The pocket portion includes a top layer, a bottom layer, a first pair of opposing sides, a second pair of opposing sides, and a cavity disposed between the top and bottom layers, the first pair of opposing sides, and the second pair of opposing sides. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first pair of opposing sides of the pocket portion are fixed to the main body portion and a substantial portion of the second pair of opposing sides of the pocket portion are separate from the main body portion to facilitate the movement of air between the bottom layer of the pocket portion and the upper surface of the main body portion. In some embodiments, the second end of the main body portion corresponds to a toe region of the sock and the pocket portion is attached to the main body portion near the second end. In some embodiments, the first end of the main body portion includes an opening and an elastic ribbed portion.

In some embodiments, the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the first pair of opposing sides includes the fold on one side and overlapped top and bottom layers on the second side.

In some embodiments, the bottom layer along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides is substantially fixed to the main portion of the sock and at least a portion of the top layer along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides is substantially unattached to the bottom layer to form an opening to the cavity along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the second pair of opposing sides includes the fold on one side and overlapped top and bottom layers on the second side. In some embodiments, the second side of the second pair of opposing sides forms an opening to the cavity. In some embodiments, at least one of the sides in the first pair of opposing sides forms an opening to the cavity.

For purposes of summarizing embodiments of the invention and advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the embodiments have been described above and as further described below. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein described. These and other embodiments of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the inventions not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a first side of an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a second side of an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an end view of an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an end view of an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With respect to covering devices for appendages, the coverings need to provide adequate warmth while still permitting use of the appendages. The warmth provided by the covering device may be enhanced by including a pocket therein or thereon which can retain a warming device, for example, an air activated chemical heating pouch.

FIGS. 1-8 illustrate a covering device including an embodiment of a floating warming pocket. Referring now to FIG. 1, the covering device includes a sock 10 having a main portion 12 and first and second sides 32, 34. A first or leg end 14 includes a hole or opening 16 to facilitate the insertion of a foot (not shown) into the sock 10. In some embodiments, an upper region 22 near the leg end 14 includes an elastic ribbed portion 24 configured to hold the sock 10 in position on a user's leg.

The main portion 12 further includes a second or toe end 18 which may be substantially closed. In some embodiments, a toe region 20 near the toe end 18 includes at least one floating pocket 26 with an inner cavity 42 configured to retain a heating pouch (not shown) in the vicinity of the toe region 20 during use. Advantageously, the floating pocket 26 including a top layer 28 and bottom layer 30 is configured to hold the pouch away from the main portion 12 of the sock 10 while still retaining the pouch in a substantially fixed position during use. The bottom layer 30 of floating pocket 26 may rest on the top surface 36 of the main portion 12, particularly during use. In some embodiments, the floating pocket 26 may be formed by folding a single piece of material over itself to form inner cavity 42 that would accept a heating pouch between the top 28 and bottom 30 pouch layers and then stitching or otherwise attaching the material at or near the sides 32, 34 of the sock 10. In the illustrated embodiment, first and second sides 48, 50 are attached to sides 32, 34 of the sock, respectively. The top and bottom layers at open end 44 of the pocket 26 are preferably not attached to the sock 10 to facilitate the flow or air between the sock 10 and the pocket 26. Similarly, the closed end 46 of the pocket 26 is preferably left detached from the sock 10 to facilitate air flow between the pocket 26 and the sock 10. Alternatively, two separate pieces of material may be stitched or otherwise attached together leaving a cavity for the insertion of the heating pouch between the material pieces. The coupled pieces of material could then be attached to the sock. Other alternatives are also possible. For example, the pocket can be integrally formed with the sock during the manufacture of the sock.

Advantageously, the floating pocket 26 is attached to the sock 10 such that air may pass between the bottom layer 30 of the floating pocket 26 and the top surface 36 of the sock 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the floating pocket 26 is attached along two sides, one on either side 32, 34 of the sock 10. Often, heating pouches require air to activate their heating properties. The more air that is allowed to circulate around the pouch, the more effective the pouch is at generating heat. In prior art socks, a fixed pocket was formed on the top surface of the sock. Because the top of the sock formed the bottom of the pocket, the pocket trapped the heating pouch directly against the top of the sock, disadvantageously limiting the air that could pass beneath the heating pouch. In addition, the fixed pockets in the prior art were stitched around 3 sides, the lateral stitching extending from one side of the sock to the other side of the sock across the top of the sock limited the sock's natural ability to expand to fit an appendage placed into it. Some embodiments of the presently disclosed floating pocket accommodate wide feet better by allowing the sock to naturally expand.

In some embodiments, the pocket 26 may be attached to the sock 10 by its laterally extending sides 44, 46, leaving the longitudinal sides 48, 50 unattached to facilitate the flow of air between the pocket 26 and the sock 10. In some embodiments, the opening to the cavity 42 is disposed along an un-attached side, as shown in the illustrated embodiments. Alternatively, the opening to the cavity may be disposed on an attached side. In some such embodiments, at least a portion of the top layer along the attached side is preferably not attached to the sock to permit insertion of a warming device between the top and bottom layers of the pocket. As would be understood by one of skill in the art, other pocket shapes are also possible which may be attached to the covering device to facilitate the flow of air between the pocket and the sock while providing a space to hold a warming device.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a sock 10 including an embodiment of a floating pocket 26 in the toe region 20. The sock 10 may be provided with varying materials and/or stitching patterns in certain regions to enhance the durability, elasticity, and/or one or more other properties of the sock in those regions. For example, the pocket 26 may be made from a thinner material than the rest of the sock to enhance air flow around the pocket 26 and to minimize the thickness of the portion of the sock 10 including the pocket 26.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a sock 10 including an embodiment of a floating pocket 26. The sock 10 may be contoured to better fit a user's foot during use, as shown in the figures.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a sock 10 including an embodiment of a floating pocket 26 having its side 48 attached at side 32 of the sock 10.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a sock 10 including an embodiment of a floating pocket 26 having its side 50 attached at side 34 of the sock 10.

FIG. 6 is an end view of a sock 10 seen from the toe end 18 of the sock 10. The floating pocket 26 is shown with airflow space 38 between the top layer 36 of the sock 10 and the bottom layer 30 of the pocket 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the floating pocket 26 is attached along at least a portion of its sides 48, 50 with the longitudinal ends 44, 46 open to facilitate the flow of air under the pocket 26 and above the top surface 36 of the sock 10.

FIG. 7 is an end view of a sock 10 seen from the leg end 14 of the sock 10. The floating pocket 26 is again shown with airflow space 38 between the top layer 36 of the sock 10 and the bottom layer 30 of the pocket 26.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the toe region 20 of sock 10. In some embodiments, the open end 44 of the floating pocket 26 may be provided with a selectively closable portion, for example, a button or a hook and loop type fastener such as Velcro®, to help retain the heating pouch in the pocket 26 during use.

Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of the invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. For example, the covering device may be a glove or mitten with a floating pocket configured to selectively hold a heating pouch in a generally fixed position while permitting air flow between the pocket and the covering device. It is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to perform varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above. 

1. A sock configured for use with the leg of a user, comprising: a main body portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface; and a generally rectangular pocket portion configured to retain a heating device and including a top layer, a bottom layer, a first pair of opposing sides, a second pair of opposing sides, and a cavity disposed between the top and bottom layers, the first pair of opposing sides, and the second pair of opposing sides, wherein at least a portion of the first pair of opposing sides of the pocket portion are fixed to the main body portion and a substantial portion of the second pair of opposing sides of the pocket portion are separate from the main body portion to facilitate the movement of air between the bottom layer of the pocket portion and the upper surface of the main body portion.
 2. The sock of claim 1, wherein the second end of the main body portion corresponds to a toe region of the sock and the pocket portion is attached to the main body portion near the second end.
 3. The sock of claim 1, wherein the first end of the main body portion includes an opening and an elastic ribbed portion.
 4. The sock of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the first pair of opposing sides includes the fold on one side and overlapped top and bottom layers on the second side.
 5. The sock of claim 4, wherein the bottom layer along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides is substantially fixed to the main portion of the sock and at least a portion of the top layer along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides is substantially unattached to the bottom layer to form an opening to the cavity along the second side of the first pair of opposing sides.
 6. The sock of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the second pair of opposing sides includes the fold on one side and overlapped top and bottom layers on the second side.
 7. The sock of claim 6, wherein the second side of the second pair of opposing sides forms an opening to the cavity.
 8. The covering device of claim 6, at least one of the sides in the first pair of opposing sides forms an opening to the cavity.
 9. A covering device configured for use with the appendage of a user, comprising: a main body portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface; and a pocket portion configured to retain a heating device and including a top layer, a bottom layer and a cavity disposed between the top and bottom layers, wherein the pocket portion is attached to the main body portion such that air is generally permitted to flow between the bottom layer of the pocket portion and the upper surface of the main body portion.
 10. The covering device of claim 9, wherein the main body portion comprises a sock.
 11. The covering device of claim 10, wherein the second end of the main body portion corresponds to a toe region of the sock and the pocket portion is attached to the main body portion near the second end.
 12. The covering device of claim 9, wherein the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion are formed of a single layer of material folded over itself so that the cavity includes four sides, one being bound by the fold and the other three being at least partially closed.
 13. The covering device of claim 12, wherein two of the three partially closed sides are stitched to the main body portion of the covering device.
 14. The covering device of claim 9, wherein the main body portion comprises first and second sides and the pocket portion comprises first and second unattached sides and first and second attached sides, at least a portion of the first and second attached sides of the pocket portion being attached to the main body portion along a portion of the first and second sides of the main body portion.
 15. The covering device of claim 14, wherein the pocket portion is stitched to the main body portion.
 16. The covering device of claim 14, wherein access to the cavity is permitted through one of the first and second unattached sides of the pocket portion.
 17. The covering device of claim 14, wherein access to the cavity is permitted through one of the first and second attached sides of the pocket portion.
 18. The covering device of claim 9, wherein access to the cavity is permitted through a selectively closable opening.
 19. The covering device of claim 18, wherein the selectively closable opening includes a button to selectively secure the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion to each other near the opening.
 20. The covering device of claim 18, wherein the selectively closable opening includes a hook and loop type fastener to selectively secure the top and bottom layers of the pocket portion to each other near the opening. 